In the News
June 17, 2021
This article published in The 19th by Barbara Rodriguez cites RepresentWomen's 2020 RCV report while featuring RepresentWomen's Founder and Director Cynthia Richie Terrell and Research Director Courtney Lamendola. Read an excerpt below.
Cynthia Richie Terrell, founder and director of RepresentWomen, pointed to the recent Democratic gubernatorial race in Virginia, where state Sen. Jennifer McClellan and former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy — Black women who would have made history if either had won the nomination and were elected — ran alongside Terry McAuliffe, a former governor who is a White man.
Richie Terrell emphasized that it’s not clear if ranked-choice voting would have changed the outcome of the race given McAuliffe’s strong lead going into the primary. But she believes more civic engagement groups would have made multi-candidate endorsements that could have raised the profiles of McClellan, Carroll Foy and others in the race. McAuliffe, who had the backing of several Black lawmakers and leaders, also might have sought even more support from voters who backed McClellan and Carroll Foy to ensure he was their second choice.
“McAuliffe might have felt more pressure from needing to appeal to Black woman voters and be attentive to their needs and their concerns. Because in order to win a majority he would have had to have said, ‘I’m really prioritizing the concerns of Black women in my agenda for the economy, for transportation, for health care, for child care,’” she said.
In the contentious world of politics, a crowded race for elected office can sometimes mean trouble for lesser known candidates, who are often women and people of color. They must then contend with narratives about their electability, placing them into a cycle of low name recognition and fundraising.
Courtney Lamendola, research director at RepresentWomen, said ranked-choice voting gives room for candidates to focus on the issues instead of questions about their viability.
“I think particularly for women and people of color, or really anybody else who has previously been excluded from this political process, it’s a really exciting and hopeful kind of opportunity for them,” she said.
Read the complete article on The 19th.
